I was curious to see if Fifty Shades of Grey would live up to all of the hype surrounding it, so I decided to give it a try. Poor decision. I struggled to get through even the first few chapters, and somehow made it through the first 100 pages before finally allowing myself to quit and mark it as “dnf.”

I honestly don’t understand how this book managed to sell so many copies when it’s poorly written, has inconsistent characterization (though, really, the characters were nothing special to begin with), and has no depth whatsoever. And don’t even get me started on Christian Grey. Abuse, manipulation and stalking aren’t sexy or flattering; they’re creepy and should be seen as warning signs.

I feel the need to say that I have nothing against people who read/write erotica. It’s not my cup of tea, but I respect the fact that everyone has different preferences. From my (albeit limited) understanding though, this book isn’t an accurate portrayal of consensual BSDM relationships; it just romanticizes abusive relationships, and that shouldn’t be condoned.